This invention relates to room-heating devices, and more specifically to an oil stove of the reflection type. Still more specifically, the invention deals with means in such a room-heating stove for holding the same at a safe distance from any external article, such as a piece of furniture, so as not to burn or scorch the article.
Reflection-type oil stoves are in widespread use. In this type of stove a concave reflector lies behind a burner assembly for reflecting and converging its heat forwardly of the stove. Should the stove be held too close to furniture, walls, etc., the converged heat might scorch or burn such an article, possibly resulting in a fire in the worst case.
In order to preclude this danger, it has been suggested to extend forwardly the drip pan fastened to the bottom of the stove body. The forward extension of the drip pan serves as a fire-prevention spacer. Even if the user attempts to place the stove too close to some external article, the drip pan extension prevents this and holds the stove body at such a distance from the article that the latter will not easily burn even if it is exposed to the concentrated heat for any extended length of time.
However, the stove with such a forward drip-pan extension requires an undue space when packaged in a box. The reduction of the packaging space is possible, of course, by detaching the drip pan from the stove body, but then the user must fasten the pan to the body preparatory to the use of the stove.
A solution to this problem is found in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 54781/1980, laid open to public inspection as No. 155204/1981 on Nov. 19, 1981. The application proposes the use of a metal rod formed generally into the shape of "U". The opposite ends of the U-shaped rod are pivotally attached to both sides of the body of a reflection-type oil stove. In the use of the stove, the U-shaped rod is manually turned forwardly and held resting on the floor under its own weight. The distal end of the U-shaped rod, extending along the front face of the stove is slightly raised from the floor to hold any external object at a burn-free distance from the stove body. The stove can also be compactly received in a packaging box by having the U-shaped rod turned upwardly and held against the stove body.
However, the device of this prior art has several drawbacks severely restricting its practical utility. For example, walking just in front of the stove, a person may catch the foot against the rod and may himself stagger or fall or may deform the rod or even upset the stove because the rod is raised from the floor.
An additional drawback is that even when held raised against the stove body, the U-shaped rod allows access to a control knob on the front panel of the body. These possibilities become still higher because the U-shaped rod rests on the floor under its own weight. Thus the user may operate the stove with the rod in the retracted position. In that case the rod will not perform its intended function at all.